If the Retina iPad mini is impossible to find this holiday season, blame Sharp

Apple’s second-generation iPad mini is also the second hardware product the company has announced this year without providing a firm launch date, and CEO Tim Cook confirmed on Apple’s recent earnings call that supply constraints are the reason. Apple’s Retina iPad mini is currently slated to launch sometime “later in November” and Cook said it is “unclear” if there will be enough supply at launch to meet pent-up demand. According to a new report from Digitimes, Apple fans who aren’t able to get their hands on a shiny new iPad mini this holiday season can blame Sharp. The site’s unnamed supply chain sources have said that Sharp, which has been tasked with supplying 40% of Apple’s Retina displays for the iPad mini, is still unable to make panels quickly enough to meet demand. LG Display has reportedly snagged the remaining 60% of Apple’s 7.9-inch Retina panel orders, and the report suggests its manufacturing process is not facing the same issues Sharp is currently dealing with.